“Ann Lembo, chief attorney in Maryland Legal Aid’s Baltimore County office, said this was the first time a lawyer donated attorneys’ fees back to the organization in a pro bono case,” the Daily Record reported today. The other organizations getting donations are the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and the Maryland Disability Law Center.

“This is the first [donation back], and we are very happy,” Lembo said. “We are just really surprised Dan did that and donated the funds to us as well as a couple other legal organizations. And he got a great result for the client, too.”

Schmitt represented a woman in a case against her landlord, the article continued. A sewage backup in the house she was renting damaged her clothing, personal possessions and electronics. She filed suit initially on her own, seeking $5,800 for property damage and failure to return her security deposit.

“It was just such an outrageous situation,” Lembo said. “We thought she needed help, and we would have loved to be able to help her, but we are just swamped with calls.”

“Dan always does a great job for his clients,” Lembo added. “He always treats them with the utmost respect. In this case, he really went above and beyond for a pro bono client. We are really happy to have his help.”

A staff member at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation selected Maryland Legal Aid as a recipient of a $10,000 grant, The Baltimore Sun reported earlier this week. It’s one of a unique block of grants that turns 16 eligible Weinberg employees into grant makers by allowing them to give $10,000 to the nonprofit of their choice.

“Marci Hunn, program director for workforce redevelopment, has worked five years for the Owings Mills-based foundation, which annually provides millions in grants to nonprofits that serve the economically disadvantaged,” the article said. “This marks the fourth year she has been eligible for the give-away program and her enthusiasm has not waned, she said.

“‘I am thrilled by it each time,'” Hunn said.

“In the past, she has chosen nonprofits that deal with jobs training. But this year, the mother of a newborn and a pre-schooler looked for an organization that assists children. She chose Maryland Legal Aid and asked that her grant be directed to Donna’s Place at the agency’s Baltimore city location. The space provides the agency’s youngest clients, who most often are in foster care, with toys, computers, books, puzzles, paper and crayons and other things to help them relax and learn, according to its website. For several weeks in the summer, staff devote three mornings to reading to the children and creating a craft project.

“‘We can choose any group within our guidelines,’ Hunn said. ‘When I looked around, I found so many gaps for children in foster care and really wanted to do something for them. Small things can really make a difference for these children. Donna’s Place is a sweet opportunity for these kids and gives them a respite from worry.'”

Maryland Legal Aid executive director Wilhelm H. Joseph Jr. was selected by The Daily Record as a Most Admired CEO in the nonprofit, over $10 million revenue category. The inaugural event will take place Sept. 13, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the Inner Harbor.

Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs will honor 30 men and women who were nominated by their colleagues and associates. The nominees were evaluated in terms of leadership and vision, competitiveness and service, community leadership and service, financial performance and growth and corporate leadership and board service.

Nominees were broken down into six categories: private companies with 150 or more employees, private companies with 51 to 149 employees, private companies with 50 or fewer employees, public companies, nonprofits with more than $10 million in annual revenue and nonprofits with less than $10 million in annual revenue.

“The Daily Record is proud to add Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs to our list of prestigious events,” said Suzanne E. Fischer-Huettner, publisher of The Daily Record. “We think it is especially important that the people being honored are not only successful in every way but are also admired within their organizations for what they do.”

HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Legal advice at a price all families can afford? It’s free! Maryland Legal Aid is holding a Pro Bono Day in Hagerstown today, where volunteer attorneys will provide answers and guidance on legal issues ranging from business law to child custody to Social Security disability.

Katie Cox is a paralegal who will attend the event. She says many problems can be solved without going to court.

“A lot of times, people need some information about whether they even have a claim. Some things can be resolved in mediation. We’re actually going to have a mediation service there.”

Cox says demand has been highest lately for family law. About one-third of 148 people who showed up at a similar event in Frederick earlier this week asked questions about divorce and domestic issues. Today’s offering is the first time Legal Aid has done a Pro Bono Day in Washington County.

Maryland Legal Aid takes cases based on issue area and income level, focusing on people in the greatest need. Even middle-income families may find it difficult to afford professional legal services, however. Cox says sorting out the details can help.

“This is a good starting step for a lot of people. You can come, get some advice, figure out what direction you need to head in, and you’ll also be able to get some other resources.”

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service will also be on hand to connect people with private attorneys who offer free services.

Registration is not required. Pro Bono Day is scheduled between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Department of Social Services, 122 N. Potomac St. Cox advises bringing related documents along.

To hear an audio version of this Public News Service story, click here.

Maryland Legal Aid’s Midwestern Maryland office will host a Pro Bono Day on July 19, the Hagerstown Herald-Mail reported this week.

“From 4 to 8 p.m., volunteer attorneys will be at the Department of Social Services, 122 N. Potomac St., to provide answers and advice on issues including family law, landlord-tenant disputes, foreclosures, business law, Social Security disability and other topics, said Katie Cox, a paralegal with Midwestern Maryland office of the Legal Aid Bureau Inc.,” the article said.

“There is no charge to attend and no registration is required.

“Pro bono is short for the Latin ‘pro bono publicus,’ or ‘for the public good,’ according to Black’s Law Dictionary. It often refers to work done by attorneys on a volunteer basis.

“’I’ve seen the greatest need is for family law,’ said Cox, a category that can include divorce, domestic relationships, child support and child custody. However, with a lackluster economy, Cox said many low-income individuals and families are also in need of advice on debt collection, bankruptcy and foreclosure, she said.”

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Our Services

Services provided to low-income people include employment (getting illegally denied unemployment benefits and back pay and wages due), housing (preserving affordable housing, stopping illegal evictions from public and subsidized housing, advocating for the correction of substandard housing, preventing homelessness), income maintenance (helping those with disabilities avoid institutionalization, preserving or obtaining public benefits, overcoming denial of public benefits), juvenile (representing abused and neglected children), consumer (preventing foreclosure, helping homeowners bilked by foreclosure rescue scams, correcting credit ratings, stopping dept-collection activity, overcoming illegal or unfair sales contracts, avoiding utility terminations), health (helping sick children and the elderly get medical assistance, helping seniors get Medicaid assistance so they can live in their communities), family (making sure custodial parents don't lose custody of their children, helping abused women obtain custody, divorce and alimony), farmworkers (educating and representing farmworkers regarding their employment rights and educating service providers, government and the public about farmworkers' rights and needs), and education (helping children get special education services to which they are entitled, avoiding illegal or unfair school suspensions and obtaining correct school records).

Pitch a Poverty Story to Your Editor.

Legal Aid is fielding a record number of calls from reporters. Suddenly, poverty is hot. Could it be it’s because so many middle-class people are slipping into poverty? Here’s why you should pitch your editor a poverty story: You’ll learn a lot about public benefits (such as food stamps, unemployment benefits and foreclosure prevention), meet some of our formidable experts…and gain expertise that could come in handy.
Cynical? You bet. I used to be a reporter.

Some Stats…

In 2011, Maryland Legal Aid helped 70,000 of our neediest citizens with their civil legal needs at no charge to them. Due to funding limitations, we are able to help only 20 percent of those who are financially eligible for our services.